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Pak Lah makes a point

A FEW DAYS BEFORE HE relinquished office as Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamed, informed his successor, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, that he has asked the six retiring secretaries-general of ministries to stay on for two more years. This has become the norm. The first two-year extension is followed by another of a year, and if he is still needed, is given a sinecure that sometimes allows him to stay on till 70 years and beyond. It makes nonsense of the civil service retirement age of 56, and this extension, and how it is granted, frustrates those denied promotions because of the extension. But this was the norm - and not only in the civil service - during the Mahathir epoch. And he does not see why it should not continue under his successor. Pak Lah took office as Prime Minister on 01 November 2003, a Friday, within days of his 64th birthday. The secretaries-general had their terms extended on Monday, 04 November.

On Tuesday, he met the retiring civil servants one by one, telling them how much he valued their services, wanted them to continue since they could brief him fully on how decisions were made and on their role in the profligacy of the Mahathir epoch. The consternation amongst them could only be imagined. Expecting to be rewarded, they are now held to account. The extensions did not sound attractive any more. The secretary-general of the Ministry of Finance, Tan Sri Shamsuddin Hitam, when asked about the singular role it played in the previous Prime Minister's excesses, decided it was indeed time to retire and spend his time in other more leisurely pursuits.

This indeed is what Pak Lah told the secretary-general of the home ministry, Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat. As Pak Lah's secretary-general, he had expected an automatic extension and promotion to Chief Secretary to the Government. Pak Lah wanted to start his Prime Ministership on a clean slate. He would not be beholden to his predecessor. He asked the Chief Secretary, Tan Sri Shamsuddin Osman, to stay on for six more months. The new Chief Secretary would be outside Dr Mahathir's charmed circle.

Dr Mahathir would not let go until the day of his retirement. He kept Pak Lah in suspense. And made the decisions. He chaired the cabinet which, if the rumours are right, made major decisions which Pak Lah, in his first, countermanded. A rush of contracts were approved and signed, not by the minister involved but by the second finance minister, Dato' Jamaluddin Jarjis. There was even a hurried ground-breaking ceremony for the ancilliary works for the Pulau Tioman airport. Dr Mahathir did that in Kuala Lumpur and he could see work starting on a giant television screen. There is already a scandal about this. It went to the YTL Group, whose Tan Sri Francis Yeoh is a Mahathir crony. It was awarded the contract for RM145 million, RM30 million higher than the lowest.

The Mahathir cronies, many of whom cannot survive unless given privatisation or government projects regularly, are caught in a bind. The Pak Lah regime does not want them around. Calls for dinners and meetings with the Pak Lah inner circle are ignored. One who pestered a senior Pak Lah aide for dinner was told bluntly that if there is anything he wants to tell him, write a letter. There is reason for this. UMNO is horrified at the excesses of the Mahathir cronies, and if these people play a prominent role in the Pak Lah regency, it is Pak Lah that would fall foul of UMNO. He cannot of course afford that: he is still only the acting president of UMNO. There are no challengers to him around, but if he does not show his mettle, there could well be.

Then there is the question of who should be deputy prime minister. Dr Mahathir wanted Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, the eldest son of the second Prime Minister. And made that clear to Pak Lah. He preferred another. But he had, at that time, no choice. He acquiesced. Whether he now would is another matter. However, Dr Mahathir did not stick to the bargain he accepted when he was appointed deputy prime minister in 1976. Dato' (later Tun) Hussain Onn had succeeded him. He wanted Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, the then home minister, as his deputy, but the three UMNO vice-presidents - Mr (now Tun) Ghafar Baba, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Dr Mahathir - insisted neither would serve in his cabinet if one of them is not appointed.

Dato' Hussein excluded Mr Ghafar, wanted Tengku Razaleigh, who would not accept since he was not in the cabinet at the time, and Dr Mahathir made a solemn promise that when he succeed Dato' Hussein he would have Tengku Razaleigh as his deputy. But when the time came, he did not, said he would accept whomsoever the UMNO general assembly selected. Dato' (now Tan Sri) Musa Hitam, with Dr Mahathir's blessings, challenged Tengku Razaleigh, defeated him and became deputy prime minister instead. Pak Lah has indicated his preference for Dato' Seri Najib but defers appointing him. Most expect an open fight between Dato' Seri Najib and another vice-president, Tan Sri Muhiyuddin Yassin for the UMNO deputy presidency in June. Then again, Pak Lah sends mixed signals. He has asked the Anti-Corruption Agency for the files of the three UMNO vice presidents.

The first few months of Pak Lah in office would be to remove, or sideline, the plans Dr Mahathir had put in place in a cynical move to control the strings after he leaves. That is not possible. Out of sight, out of mind. Especially in the Malay political tradition. About the only reference one can see of Dr Mahathir in the Malaysian press are the full page advertisements of bon voyage. He is on holiday in Europe, travelling there on a newly-bought Petronas jet aircraft modified so he could travel as he did in office at a moment's notice. How is he entitled to the Petronas jet when he is no longer Prime Minister? Is he about to be appointed an adviser or even chairman of Petronas?

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my